Platydyptes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Platydyptes |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Subfamily: | †Palaeeudyptinae |
| Genus: | †Platydyptes Marples, 1952 |
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See text |
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Platydyptes was a type of extinct penguin that lived a long, long time ago. These ancient birds swam in the waters around New Zealand between 27.3 and 21.7 million years ago. That's during a time called the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene epochs.
A scientist named Brian Marples first described Platydyptes in 1952. This group of penguins included three different species, all of which were quite large. Their fossils have been found in the South Island of New Zealand, specifically in the northern Otago and southern Canterbury areas. The name Platydyptes comes from two Greek words: platys, meaning "broad and flat," and dyptes, meaning "diver." This name refers to the shape of their arm bone, called the humerus, which was wide and flat.
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Meet the Platydyptes Species
There were three known species of Platydyptes penguins. Each one has a unique story behind its name and discovery.
Platydyptes marplesi: Simpson's Penguin
- Platydyptes marplesi is the smallest of the Platydyptes species.
- It was named by a scientist named Simpson in 1971.
- The species name, marplesi, honors Brian Marples, who first identified the Platydyptes group.
- Its common name, "Simpson's penguin," honors George Gaylord Simpson, the scientist who described this specific species.
Platydyptes novaezealandiae: Wide-Flipppered Penguin
- Platydyptes novaezealandiae is also known as the "wide-flippered penguin."
- Its name, novaezealandiae, is a Latin way of saying "New Zealand." This shows where the penguin lived.
- This species was first described by Oliver in 1930, and then later included in the Platydyptes group by Marples in 1952.
Platydyptes amiesi: Amies’ Penguin
- Platydyptes amiesi was the largest of the three species.
- It was about the same size as a modern king penguin, but it had even longer flippers!
- The name amiesi honors A.C. Amies. He was a student at the University of Otago who found the very first fossil of this penguin in 1946.
- Sadly, A.C. Amies passed away soon after his discovery while in Malaya.
